Kerala fishing community demands closure of Koodankulam plant

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF) send a press note and demanded the State government to take the necessary steps to close down the Koodankulam nuclear plant. The KSMTF leaders had visited Koodankulam recently and expressed their solidarity. “The struggle is not only to protect the fish and the ocean from radiation, it is a struggle to protect the lives of people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” the President of the association, T Peter said.

In the note they have pointed out that the plant poses a threat to promonent tourism sites such as Kanyakmari, Kovalam, Varkala, Kuttanad, and coastal Alappuzha. The Atomic Energy Regulation Board has stated that there should be no tourism site within a radius of 20 kms from the plant. KAnyakumari is only 14kms away from Koodankulam.They have also expressed fear that the plant would pollute marine resources and vegetables produced in Tamil Nadu which is exported to Kerala.

“We are fighting not only for the fishing community but also for the future generation,” Peter said. A few days back scientists and experts had confirmed that Kerala would surely be affected if a disaster strikes the Koodankulam Neuclear plant.